I tried launching my web browser and connecting to the internet. While the web pages displayed at a snail’s pace, they did load, confirming that I had an internet connection.
The connection speed was probably comparable to old ISDN or dial-up modems. It wasn’t fast at all, but since emails don’t have large file sizes, it would work.
I decided to send an email to the Help Desk.
The subject was “Emergency Situation, Requesting Urgent Assistance!”
In the body, I explained that I was surrounded by something like the Imperial Army’s slime horde while out. I stated that I didn’t have enough combat power and there was no prospect of everyone escaping safely. I also asked them to contact the convenience store and inform the Manager about the situation before sending the email.
This made me realize that the people of Japan were my only hope. While I didn’t expect direct help, just relaying my situation to everyone at the convenience store would be enough.
“…You’re telling me you managed to contact the outside world in this situation? What kind of device is that?”
“Actually, I managed to contact people from Japan in this Otherworldly setting… Whoa! The reply is incredibly fast!”
As expected from the 24-hour Help Desk. They seemed to have contacted Ms. Kashima immediately, and I received a reply from her right away.
It had only been about a minute since I sent the email.
“Subject: Thank you for your contact.”
“This is Kashima from the Otherworldly Affairs Bureau. Thank you very much for contacting us during your busy schedule. We have received the support request from Owner Takakura. The situation has already been understood through the emergency report from the autonomous control local mobile vehicle BUN-6601. Regarding the enemy Otherworldly life forms that the Owner is currently confronting, we have existing information and are prepared to provide elimination plans and countermeasures, so please rest assured. We are currently in the process of discussing a rescue plan for Owner Takakura and his group in coordination with the convenience store. We will provide further updates as progress is made. In the meantime, we will provide immediate instructions for dealing with the involved life forms. The concerned Otherworldly creatures possess an extremely high ability to mimic and are remarkably resilient, making conventional detection methods such as visual observation and acoustic detection ineffective. However, past engagement records confirm that their camouflage can be detected by observing their infrared radiation distribution using thermovision. BUN-6601’s onboard drone and optical peripheral surveillance system are equipped with a thermovision mode, which should allow us to ascertain the enemy’s encirclement and position through aerial observation.”
“Furthermore, as a precaution during engagement, the concerned creatures have been confirmed to have high resistance to physical impact, and close combat is not recommended. They attack with tentacles, and their lethal range is approximately 10 meters. Combat within 10 meters of the target may result in casualties to combat personnel, so please be cautious. Their tentacles are also extremely strong and move at nearly half the speed of sound, possessing high attack power. Even small, one-meter-class specimens have been known to possess armor penetration capabilities equivalent to rifle rounds, and larger, five-meter-class specimens can penetrate armor equivalent to .50 caliber rounds. A minimum of 25mm of ballistic armor is required for defense against these attacks. Please consider standard Otherworldly defenses such as armor and shields to be inadequate. We strongly recommend avoiding close combat.”
“Effective means of attack against these creatures include high heat, extreme cold, ignition after spraying flammable liquids such as gasoline or diesel, high-voltage electricity, and high-pressure water. While firearm attacks are also effective, small-caliber pistol rounds have little effect. The use of large-caliber rifle rounds of .30 caliber or larger, or large pistol rounds of .45 caliber or larger, is recommended. Additionally, spraying chemicals such as lime, salt, acids, alkaline solutions, irritants, or alcohol has also proven highly effective, so please use your ingenuity with available equipment and locally sourced materials. We also have countermeasures prepared and are currently formulating a plan for their urgent transport to the convenience store. Further details will be provided in the next update. For now, beyond informational support, we can only ask that you endure until reinforcements arrive. We sincerely pray for the safety of Owner Takakura.”
It was a very typical, template-like response from Ms. Kashima. I didn’t even know where to begin commenting on it…
However, the content itself was surprisingly encouraging.
Emergency report from the vehicle… In other words, Bun had already reported the situation to Japan and arranged for reinforcements! And then, they provided me with a way to contact Japan through Momo… What an incredibly sophisticated maneuver they pulled off so casually! What is this thing?!
This was an unexpected trump card… I hadn’t even considered it, but I had an incredibly powerful ally.
But… “existing information”…? Why do Ms. Kashima and the others know about these monsters? It’s as if Japan was invaded and there was some kind of incident… What is all this? Did the Empire meddle with Japan in the Otherworldly realm too? It makes no sense…
Using thermovision, I see… Slimes are liquid creatures, so perhaps due to evaporative cooling, they are slightly cooler than their surroundings… That would indeed make them visible with thermovision. As Aage also mentioned, simply taking aerial photos wouldn’t be enough to distinguish them, but thermovision can graphically distinguish temperature changes, making them instantly visible regardless of camouflage or hiding.
And they are weak to low and high temperatures… Plus, the fact that they can be defeated with high-pressure water means I can also fight effectively.
Attack power equivalent to .50 caliber… So they have the power of an anti-materiel rifle… I absolutely must not, and must not let anyone else, engage in close combat. Physical impact… they seem strong against being cut or hit, so perhaps Santos and the others who specialize in close combat should stand back… But I can now project water about 50 meters, let alone 10 meters… In this situation, I should step forward as a combatant myself…
All the training I had with Lansia and the others might have paid off. I thought I would be fighting incomprehensible, unknown monsters in a desperate situation, but for Japan, this was old news, their true nature already revealed… And they even have countermeasures… They were already preparing them… Although I don’t know the level of these countermeasures, given their past engagement and research, it’s not surprising they’ve developed something quite advanced.
In that case, instead of just running, we might even be able to turn the tables if we play it right! After all, even if we escape now, this is just a skirmish for the enemy. The next stage would undoubtedly be the main battle. Defending the convenience store area against these creatures… There are many non-combatants there… It’s not designed as a defensive stronghold, so being attacked like this would be disastrous… I desperately want to avoid that.
I had tried not to owe Ms. Kashima and the others too much, or to avoid complying with their every request, but… in this situation, I have no choice but to use whatever I can. This is a fight for survival!
